Should you repair or replace your faucet?
Updated August 2026
← Every repair-or-replace call
A drip or a stiff handle is a repair nine times out of ten, usually a $10–40 cartridge, O-ring kit, or aerator that swaps in under an hour. Faucets are one of the few fixtures where the wear parts cost a rounding error against the fixture itself: a new kitchen or bath faucet runs $75–300, or $150–400 once a plumber sets it. Replacement earns its keep when the fault is in the body rather than a seal, meaning green corrosion at the base, a finish flaking off, or a manufacturer that stopped making your cartridge. A crack leaking into the cabinet is the one drip nobody can repair.
The short version
Ask one question before you shop: is the leak coming from a part you can buy, or from the casting? Handle drips, spout drips, and weak flow trace back to cartridges, seats and springs, or a limed-up aerator, and none of those justify a new fixture. The 50% rule barely applies here because the ratio is so lopsided, a $25 cartridge against a $250 installed faucet, so repair stays the default well past a decade. Three things flip it. Parts availability dies on discount and builder-grade models after 10–15 years, plated finishes wear through and cannot be restored, and a hairline crack in the body leaks under the sink where it rots the cabinet before anyone notices.
Your situation, decided
| Situation | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Drip from the spout or under the handle | Repair | A $10–40 cartridge, seat, or O-ring kit and 30 minutes |
| Weak or sputtering flow, no leak | Repair | A clogged aerator; soak it in vinegar or swap it for $5–15 |
| Green corrosion at the base or a flaking finish | Replace | The body is failing; fresh seals will not stop it |
| Cartridge discontinued on a 15-year-old builder faucet | Replace | No parts means no repair; budget $150–400 installed |
| Water pooling in the cabinet from a cracked body | Replace | A cracked casting cannot be sealed, and the cabinet rots |
| Leak at the supply line or shutoff valve | Repair | A $8–20 braided supply line or a $15–35 stop valve |
What each path costs
Repairs typically run $10–40; a replacement is $150–400 installed. A quality faucet lasts 15–20 years and a builder-grade one 8–10. Repair for as long as cartridges are still sold; once parts are discontinued or the body corrodes, replace. Price your own number on the home maintenance cost calculator before you commit either way.
The repair-or-replace call is easy when you know the unit's age and service history. OnOtto keeps both, plus the maintenance that delays this decision for years.
Start your home's service log, freeFrequently asked questions
How much water does a dripping faucet actually waste?
More than most people guess. The EPA puts a faucet dripping once per second at over 3,000 gallons a year, and a hot-water drip wastes the energy to heat it too. On a metered supply that is only a few dollars a month, which is exactly why the drip gets ignored for years. The quieter cost shows up as mineral staining in the basin and a seized cartridge that is far harder to remove later. See what ignoring a drip adds up to.
Can I swap a faucet cartridge myself?
Yes, and it is the highest-payoff plumbing job in the house. Close the two stop valves under the sink, open the faucet to relieve pressure, pop the handle cap, back out the handle screw, then lift the cartridge with pliers or a $10 puller on stuck ones. Take the old part to the store, since cartridges are brand-specific and a wrong guess wastes a trip. Budget 30 to 45 minutes and $10–40. The faucet checklist covers the rest of the fixture.
Why did my faucet flow drop off suddenly?
Look at the aerator before you look at the plumbing. Scale and grit collect in that small screen, and flow falls off gradually in hard water or all at once after work on the main. Unscrew it by hand or with taped pliers, soak it in white vinegar for 20 minutes, brush it, and reinstall. If hot and cold both dropped, confirm the stop valves are fully open. A twice-yearly aerator cleaning prevents the whole problem.
Is it worth paying a plumber to install a faucet?
Depends on the cabinet. Labor runs $100–250 for a straightforward swap, an hour or two of work, and most of that hour goes to lying on your back reaching corroded mounting nuts with a basin wrench. If the shutoffs are old multi-turn stops, have them changed at the same time for $15–35 each in parts, since they are what fails the next time you need to close the water. On a faucet already past the 15 to 20 year mark, replace the supply lines too.